Birdcage
by Achieving Elysium
Summary: AU of the trilogy. Initiation is done, and Tris is ready to become Dauntless. Her new life feels exactly how she thought it would be: free. An ambassador between factions, she works on keeping peace. But Jeanine Matthews is hiding something, and Marcus knows what. She finds herself caught in a web of lies. What about the fence? And what exactly is freedom in this world?


**Hello, my name is Achieving Elysium, and I'm really excited for my new project. Thank you for reading this when there were tons of other fanfictions exactly like it. I hope you enjoy this. 7.20.13. **

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**Birdcage  
**_Achieving Elysium_

I wander aimlessly in the hallways of the Pit, my bare feet making almost no noise as I go. It is quiet now, though every now and then I hear a few voices talking. Everyone else is sound asleep. But for me, I am wide awake and alert, too excited to be able to sleep. Finally, I turn around and walk in the other direction, heading one of the only places in Dauntless where you can see the sky. The familiar, dotted outline of the net makes me want to smile. I reach up, easily swinging onto the surface. Once, I would not have been able to do that; now, I am strong and brave enough to climb to even the highest peaks. The sky is blue-but it is such a dark shade that the color looks almost black. Tiny pockets of stars wink at me. I guess many things will happen here. I started Dauntless here, and now I have ended initiation. Tomorrow, I will be a full-fledged member of Dauntless. There is no turning back at this point.

Can I really do that? Tomorrow, can I really become a part of this living, breathing freedom? Will I really be truly Dauntless. For a fleeting moment, I think, _no, I can't_, but then I remember flying above the city, the musky smell of old buildings and the wind rushing around me, and I know I can. I will be who I've dreamed of being; a Dauntless-Abnegation ambassador, straightening conflicts, bearing messages... Maybe it's too good to be true.

My eyes land on a window ledge. I follow the horizontal lines up to the sky. Walking to the edge of the net, I grab onto it. It doesn't crumble, a strong, steady _something _in a world of poorly-controlled chaos. Then I pull myself up and balance precariously on the surface. Then I grab the next one, leading up like the rings of a ladder, and climb. Wind pushes down, blowing my hair in my face and in my mouth. I pause to spit it out. My arms burn, my legs hurt, and my heart is beating fast, but I'm grinning. There's a vaguely familiar sense about this scene.

_"Are you human, Tris?" _My grin promptly gets wider as I think of Tobias. Even thinking about him makes me want to burst into flames or spontaneously combust, but I'm so close to that already, it washes over me, fresh and calming. Many people think Dauntless are crazy; we're not. We're free. When we climb so high people are nothing but specks on the ground, or we jump off a building, or fight each other, we are soaring, birds circling higher and higher. My fingers scrabble for the next ledge, they search for one second, two seconds, three seconds, before they find a grip. I look down. The net has almost disappeared from view. I look up. The first rays of dawn are warm and golden-I have been climbing all night. I am sweating and panting when I reach the top, dragging myself over the edge with ragged fingernails and scratched hands. I sit with my feet over the edge, kicking back and forth in empty air. The sun is red and bright as it rises. I don't know how long I sit there, staring at the sun and thinking of my life.

A piercing whistle cuts through the air. I glance up. The trains. The familiar, worn train comes, heading towards where I am. Dauntless members jump off-I recognize some of them. Uriah is here, his tall figure and spiky hair easily distinguishable, holding hands with Marlene, and Lyn, Shauna's sister, next to them. There are a few others here, too, that I don't know. Uriah spots me first. He walks over and plops down at me, staring.

"What have you been _doing_?" he asks, incredulously. I subconsciously run a hand through my hair; it is tousled, tangled-full of knots from my late night endeavor. My hands are still scratched and my fingernails don't look very good either. I blush.

"Nothing..?" I say, though it comes out of my mouth as a question.

"God, did you _climb_?" Lyn asks, somehow next to me, staring down at where I know the net is. It's unseeable. Marlene is suddenly here too, running her cool fingers over my cuts, inspecting my hands.

"_I _think she did," Marlene declares, her face lighting up. "Gosh, that's a long way, Tris." I can't tell if they are complimenting me or if they think I am insane. Looking at them, it's a bit of both.

"Let's jump," Lyn suggests casually. "The Choosing Ceremony starts at nine, so we've got an hour or so." I blink. The last time I had checked, it was one o'clock in the morning. I'd been sitting here for eight hours. I yawn.

"Okay!" Marlene looks excited. "Nothing like an initiative jump off a building to celebrate the end of Dauntless initiation." Now Uriah turns the are-you-crazy look off of me and shoots it at her. I giggle at his face. I shrug.

"Why not?" Lyn smiles at my answer. She then proceeds to drag Uriah to the edge and push him off. We hear him yelling, probably cursing Lyn, as he falls towards the net. Then she jumps herself. Marlene gets a running start and dives off, leaving me alone. Looking around, there is no one else. The other Dauntless must have gone down the so-called stairs. I look down, imagining a time where I hit Peter with my shirt, where I had been nervous but brave, gaining the title of first jumper.

I'm falling, falling, falling, and colors blend together, a mass of greys, whites, and blacks. For a moment, there is nothing-I am flying, perhaps, a second of peaceful chaos. Then something soft slams into my side; by instinct, I roll over and off the net, landing on my feet. Uriah is standing, arms crossed, grumbling about being pushed off. Lyn is laughing at him, a gleam in her eyes that I have not seen before. Marlene watches the both of them. She grips my arm when I stumble. I'm tired now, as well as hungry. On cue, my stomach grumbles loudly, and Marlene giggles. She keeps her hold on my arm and totes me off to the showers, pushing me in. I don't remember when Marlene, Lyn, Uriah, and I became closely knitted together, but in Dauntless, I muse, you are a part of a living, breathing family. We're many people, all with different thoughts and ideas, but we are the same. I dutifully scrub, washing away the grime and blood. The water turns grey and murky, and I let the warmth envelop me. I am more awake when I step out, the water on my bare skin catching the cold air. I catch myself in the mirror. She looks different. This girl in the mirror looks different. My skin is pink from my scrubbing, but I am focusing on myself. There are hard lines across my body, none of the gentle curves and soft skin of a woman. Blue-grey eyes meet mine, and surprisingly, I note, they are the same shade of those of my mother's. I smile at the thought. I can still see her, setting the table, her hair up and dressed in pale grey. The way the lights seems to catch in her hair and the gentle motions as she sets down the bowls make her look beautiful in a way that I am not.

There is a set of fresh clothing laying on a rack, a fluffy, white towel next to it. I shake my head and grin. _Marlene, _I think gratefully, pulling on a dress that is very fitted. Brass buttons run down the left side, and the hem stops just before my knees. There is also a pair of combat boots, the button theme continuing. I am staring at myself again when Christina rushes in. She stops and surveys me.

"What?" I ask. She just grabs a stool that I hadn't noticed before and pushes me into it.

"_You_, Tris," she says, pulling out the dreaded black bag. "-are going to be an ambassador in-" She checks her watch. "Forty-nine minutes. And I am _not _letting you out there with no make-up." I groan. Of course. I sigh and stare at the blank wall as she rips off what I am sure is ninety-percent of my eyebrow. She then commands me to close my eyes, and there is a strange sensation as she draws a brush over my eyelids. I blink, and she swats at me. I'm surprised that she remembers all of this stuff. I don't know half of it. _  
_

"Done," she announces, and I sigh. Knowing her, I'll probably be late for the whole you-get-a-job thing. I turn, and I'm pretty sure my jaw is touching the floor. My eyes seem brighter. My hair has been twisted into a high bun, but unlike what I would do in Abnegation, it is messy, and strands of hair have fallen out. The shadows on my face are accentuated, and I look dangerous, collected, sophisticated... I look Dauntless. _Noticeable_, I think. _Noticeable. _Christina claps her hands.

"You can go." I roll my eyes. She grins, and for a second, I know I cannot compare to the beautiful, beautiful, Christina, with her dark hair, cocoa skin, showing off in a low-cut dress that I would never wear. She is stunning, eye-catching, a wonder all on it's own.

"You look great," I tell her, and she beams.

"Thanks. Now come on, Miss-Unofficial-Ambassador-slash-Unofficial-Mrs-Fo ur," she teases. I blush bright red. Everyone has adjusted to Tobias and I, but there is always one person in the crowd who wolf-whistles or calls us out, always someone to tease me and laugh with me. Today, it's Christina, I guess. I punch her arm, and we pull through the gathering crowd to the supposed offices. Will is waiting for us, muffins in hand, and I snatch one, remembering my hunger. I'll sleep later. There is no time to catch a break now. I practically shove the muffin down my throat. It is the best thing I've ever tasted-a warm, buttery muffin after a hot shower. Will just smiles kindly at my antics, his eyes crinkling with barely concealed amusement, and hands me a bottle of water. Christina, on the other hand, is sort-of choking on her muffin, red-faced as she laughs at me. I greedily gulp down the water before beginning to laugh with her. Our laughter rings loudly in the Pit, and Will slings both arms around us, chuckling.

"There." I point at a door that says:

**DAUNTLESS JOB APPLICATIONS AND LIVING ARRANGEMENTS**

Christina makes a strangled noise. I freeze. My stomach flips, and the muffin sitting in my stomach doesn't feel as good as it does. _Get a grip, _I tell myself. _You've already chosen. Now you just confirm it. _I walk forwards first, turning the knob. A Dauntless woman-Sherri, as her name tag reads-looks up and smiles.

"Come in," she says. I walk in stiffly. The office itself is drab, with white walls, a calendar and clock hanging, alone. A plant sits in one corner, a shelf another. The walls are covered with filing cabinets.

"Tris Prior, yes?" She asks. I nod. "-and Will Smith, as well as Christina Abernathy. Sit, if you would. Let's make this fast, okay? We just need your confirmation, and then we'll get you an apartment." She clicks something on the computer.

"An ambassador between Dauntless and Abnegation, right?"

"Yes," I say. My mouth feels dry. "Yes."

"Okay, your apartment number is 219, Tris." She hands me keys. "Will, you want to be a tattoo artist, right?"

"Yeah."

"Apartment 134. Christina, a trainer, are you?" Her smile widens. "I used to be one of them. But then I came here after Amos..." She trails off. _Amos... _Tobias would know him. I'm sure of it. A Dauntless trainer, mentor, maybe even Divergent... I shiver.

"Really?" Christina asks excitedly.

"Yes, it's a great job, really. Your room is 176, okay? Thank you!" I wave to her as we walk out. Christina is bubbling with happiness.

"I'm going to be a trainer! Will, Tris, I'm gonna be a trainer!" She reminds me of the Dauntless kids, excited and overflowing with joy. But I am grinning, too, and we have a strange, three-way hug, like a circle of children. She then yelps.

"We have ten minutes! Come on!" There is no time to visit my apartment now, so I hastily stuff the keys down the side of my boot. Then we run, as much running as someone can do when they are trying to stay presentable.

The train hoots, and we gasp for breath. I feel as if I can't get enough air, and maybe I can't, seeing how tight my dress is. Christina and Marlene stand behind me, chatting away as they fix my hair. Lyn stares out the window. Will is trying to talk to Uriah, though things seem awkward between them. Tobias is nowhere to be seen, but I know he's around here somewhere. Maybe even already at the Ceremony. I turn a bit to stare out the window, and Marlene whacks me for messing them up. I personally don't care much. The city passes in colors, white, tall buildings easily spotted. The rest passes in blurs of grey, and I feel a pang of loneliness, of sadness, of the thought of what I could've had when we pass Abnegation. But then we're there, and I can't think of anything else but the Choosing.

We all jump off, hooting and laughing and joking, our hands grasping each other as we make our way to a new life. The Hub is as huge and beautiful as I remember it, and everything is exactly the same except for the fact that I will never be that shy, quiet girl from Abnegation ever again. We stand together in the Dauntless, and when Marcus walks on stage, I grit my teeth but stay silent. There is no use in causing an uproar-not now. Abnegation, strangely, sits next to us this year. They have not come in yet, presumably walking up the stairs. Marcus must have come here earlier, then.

A cloud of grey walk in. I catch my breath; they are so beautiful. A river, calming and composed, made of tiny, tiny drops of water that all come together as one. I stare at them, marveling in the simplicity and the ease in which they walk. Then a woman stops next to me and sends me a soft, familiar smile.

I would recognize her anywhere. It's my mother.

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**Um, today is now 9.15.13, so it's been a while. I hope you guys like it! I'm worried-am I in character? Have I made it too fast-paced? I tried to get a feel of Veronica's writing by re-reading Insurgent, but I'm not really sure. Please, leave a review! **

_Achieving Elysium_


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